[starry informed me she will be out for a few days so i will continue your healing with what berrypaw knows! it should be enough to heal him unless there's something else going on ]
Berrypaw narrowed her eyes in concentration. The marigold was spread all over the wound, good. A layer of protection, she envisioned. Okay, what next... cobwebs, right? To stop the bleeding and help seal up the wound?
Berrypaw gingerly took the cobwebs that her mentor had brought out, wrapping as much as she could around her paw. Then she brought it down to Grimpaw's flank, carefully spreading the sticky substance as best she could. It certainly wasn't the prettiest wound-patching work, but it looked like it got the job done. She stopped herself from grimacing at the leftover cobweb and blood stuck to her paw — it was hardly anything worth fretting about when she was in the middle of saving a potentially-dying cat. Her concern for him outweighed any aversion to the sight of blood and goop.
"He should be fine as long as an infection doesn't kick in, which is what the marigold is for," Berrypaw reasoned, flashing Crowglow an encouraging glance. "We just have to make sure he rests and doesn't reopen the wound. That could lead to more bleeding and... well, could make everything worse. So it's very important that he rests."
It was the best she could do, hoping her own anxiety wasn't showing too much in her face and body. She was more nervous of her own limited abilities, not Grimpaw's condition... she imagined he'd be alright — he was in good paws, right? Like Mistyshard said? She had to remind herself of that.
Of course it hurt. Why had she even hoped overwise?
Mistyshard nodded thoughtfully, glad when he mentioned not having forgotten anything. That was a start, at least. So he wanted some poppy seeds.. she could get those, along with some cobwebs to wrap around his head to sort of cushion it? She hoped that made sense. Also some dock maybe.. Oh wait! blessed thistle could help with brain fog, if she recalled correctly. "I'll be right back with some herbs that will help you." (at least hopefully they would).
The herbalist quickly turned to the herb storage, bounding in there and grabbing a poppy flower. First she shook that and took 3 seeds from the ones that were now scattered across the floor. She could clean that later. Then, some blessed thistle. She was able to locate the odd plant pretty quickly, grabbing two leaves and carrying them with her as she made her way back to Roseshard. If cobwebs and dock would still be required she could grab those later. First she needed the warrior to eat the blessed thistle, before she could milder his pain by feeding him poppy seeds.
Mistyshard pushed the two leaves towards Roseshard, giving him a quick nod. It was meant to be.. reassuring, in a way? She didn't know if he needed it, as a grown warrior, but sometimes incidents like this were traumatizing. "This is blessed thistle - it should help you be able to think clearer and get your brain fog to go away. Just be aware that it's a bit bitter, but you're not a kit so you should be able to deal with the taste I hope." Then she also moved three poppy seeds closer to him. "...Eat these once you've fully chewed and swallowed the blessed thistle. They'll help you sleep and reduce your pain." Her amber hue sparkled with curiosity as she watched the herbs hopefully serve their purpose.
He watched her spin away and return a few heartbeats later, laying some leaves down before him. He wondered what made them so "blessed" whiled he chewed the bitter leaves. They certainly didn't taste like a blessing. But yeah, as Mistyshard said, he was a warrior, so no funny faces. He swallowed the chewed pulp and ran a tongue over his teeth before licking up the poppy seeds. He gave those a crunch too, before swallowing.
Then he waited for the herbs to work. "Thanks," he mewed, because the silence was awkward. Moments later his eyes began to droop, and he curled up in the nest, preparing to sleep. The last thought that he remembered crossing his mind before darkness engulfed him once again, was that he had to see Blackfrost again soon, to say thank you.
***
[Time jump to later?]
Roseshard blinked the sleepy crust from his eyes. He must have been sleeping for a while, because outside he could hear the dawn birds singing, and the light was poor. He shifted his head experimentally, pleased when he felt nothing. Maybe that meant the swelling had gone down, and he was better again. He didn't want to be in this den any longer than he had too. It wasn't the same den -after the flood- but it smelled the same and that was enough. It brought back memories. It brought back the guilt.
He traced his nose over the scars on his flank absently.
Besides, the Clan needed him for border patrols and hunting. His paws itched to go, but he knew he needed Mistyshard's permission before he could leave. The russet-and-black tabby had nothing to to but wait for her to wake up.
__________________
Ain't much that I know what to put 'ere...
"And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies." - Haymitch
The silvery molly curiously swiveled her ears towards the den entrance as a young kit came in. Ah... Springkit. She padded up to the tomcat and smiled softly, wanting to make him feel welcome. He seemed to be very exhausted and pale. Was he sick, or had he just not gotten enough sleep? Well, it appeared that he certainly felt sick. She gently brushed her tail along his back and gestured to an empty nest. Maybe if she got him some water and got to the root of what had happened, everything would be fine again... it couldn't be some kind of drastic disease that was going around in the clan, right? She sure hoped not.
"Come here, Springkit, lay down. Do you want some water or food? I can get you anything you wish. Before we can settle on the right herb for your sickness, I need you to tell me exactly how you feel and where it hurts okay?" she mewed in a friendly tone.
She let out a little purr to make the kit comfortable and pricked her ears, curious to hear what was wrong and what she could do to fix it. Hopefully it was something she actually knew how to fix... she didn't want to fail again, like she had with Pebblesplash's breathing problems. At least she knew a remedy for those now but that did not change the fact it had happened.
He let himself be led to a nest, not properly even registering it happening. Food? Water? "no... I don't really feel like eating right now... sorry." But how did he feel? Just sick. It was difficult to explain, but Misty couldn't exactly help if she didn't know what was wrong. "I, erm, well it's kinda hard to breathe... Not like- my nose isn't stuffy and breathing doesn't hurt, but the air.... isn't filled with enough... air..." He felt stupid. He was stupid, nothing he said made any sense, but he had to try. "And my stomach is turning really bad. It started very recently, like just a few moments ago outside... when they were talking about those rats and fighting them... "
He didn't know what more to explain. "Ehm, Misty, by the way, how bug are rats? like... are they able to hurt cats badly?"
One of the important things that needed to be taken care of before this massive invasion happened was the training of field medics. It was something he'd been wanting done for a while now, and now seemed like the perfect time.
Poking his head into the medicine den, he called, "Mistyshard, Berrypaw? I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but I need to speak with both of you about preparations for this coming war."
__________________
Fadingstar is currently RiverClan's leader. He has an open den policy; his den can be found here. If you have any questions or concerns about RiverClan, or any plots to propose, feel free to leave me a VM or DM! Please do not take my characters' IC opinions as reflective of my own.
Berrypaw had the prickling sense someone was watching and waiting nearby; as a jumpy cat, she always had this sort of sense, but it felt more real this time. It wasn't until the faint scent of her Clanmate somewhere behind her hit her pink nose that Berrypaw realized it wasn't just her slightly-paranoid imagination.
Turning nervously, the she-cat relaxed when she saw Caveclaw, silently and patiently waiting as they presented sticks covered in cobwebs. Padding over to the warrior, Berrypaw dipped her head in thanks as she picked up the sticks.
"Oh! Thank you... for this," she mewed cautiously, a bit awkward as she tried to grab them without getting cobwebs stuck on her chest fur. Was this for a patrol? Or some sick cat? Berrypaw had no idea — either way, they'd always need cobwebs, so she'd certainly just take them and be thankful. Maybe Mistyshard would know...
One of the important things that needed to be taken care of before this massive invasion happened was the training of field medics. It was something he'd been wanting done for a while now, and now seemed like the perfect time.
Poking his head into the medicine den, he called, "Mistyshard, Berrypaw? I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but I need to speak with both of you about preparations for this coming war."
Berrypaw's ears perked up at Fadingsun's voice. She had just briefly been checking on Grimpaw when the leader called. Padding towards him, the apprentice tilted her head. "S-Sure... I'm here," she announced, a slight nervous edge to her voice.
She had tried her darndest to distract herself from the impending war, knowing full well her obsessive thoughts wouldn't let her forget. Now the leader himself was approaching to speak about plans... Berrypaw knew that she and Mistyshard would play integral roles, and the responsibility made her want to shrink in her own skin. And she often assumed the worst.
Whatever it was, she just hoped it wouldn't be too scary. She was already scared enough.
__________________
*despite everything, it's still you.
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat!
she and Cobwebfern have a semi-closed den policy.
Crowglow took a few deep breaths. "S-sorry, its just that I see him as extra family in a way. He's the only cat I trust more than the high ranks.." He quietly explained. His tail swayed gently.
@squidz
Quote:
Originally Posted by squidz
| BERRYPAW |
small & nimble dark brown she-cat with darker flecks and light, leafy-green eyes
Berrypaw's eyes widened as Grimpaw was ushered in. Her first patient...? Immediately her heart began racing. Ohnoohnonohno... She took in a deep breath, trying to quell the tired of anxious thoughts once she heard Mistyshard start speaking to her. Pay attention! She silently noted moss and cobwebs in her head — she'd seen both of them used before at a distance, after the ThunderClan raid. But up close and personal, she could really view how each of them worked.
"M-Marigold... ho-okay..." Berrypaw nodded and swiftly trotted off, eyes scanning the lines and lines of herbs and flowers. Yellow-orange flowers... huh... could it be these?
Berrypaw padded back over, delicately holding some of the flowers in her mouth. Chew them up? Okay, she could do that... the apprentice began, grimacing as the bitter taste of the flowers filled her mouth. Just as her mentor said, she chewed it until it felt like a gross, runny texture and carefully angled herself over the wound. She spat the poultice onto it, using her sheathed paw to carefully spread it. "Like... this...?" She asked quietly, not knowing at all how much she was needing to spread around.
The entire time she focused on each instruction, her hardworking brain able to push aside some of her nerves for the sake of completing her task. That was something good the apprentice could say about herself — when she wanted to focus, she could, even when her heart felt like thumping out of her chest.
/ @starry @Forgetfulshape - sorry if this is slightly messy, this weekend is busy for me and i wanted to get my replies in haha
Quote:
Originally Posted by Goopysharkboi
Crowglow watched, trying to remain calm. Grimpaw would be fine, right..?
Quote:
Originally Posted by squidz
| BERRYPAW |
small & nimble dark brown she-cat with darker flecks and light, leafy-green eyes
[starry informed me she will be out for a few days so i will continue your healing with what berrypaw knows! it should be enough to heal him unless there's something else going on ]
Berrypaw narrowed her eyes in concentration. The marigold was spread all over the wound, good. A layer of protection, she envisioned. Okay, what next... cobwebs, right? To stop the bleeding and help seal up the wound?
Berrypaw gingerly took the cobwebs that her mentor had brought out, wrapping as much as she could around her paw. Then she brought it down to Grimpaw's flank, carefully spreading the sticky substance as best she could. It certainly wasn't the prettiest wound-patching work, but it looked like it got the job done. She stopped herself from grimacing at the leftover cobweb and blood stuck to her paw — it was hardly anything worth fretting about when she was in the middle of saving a potentially-dying cat. Her concern for him outweighed any aversion to the sight of blood and goop.
"He should be fine as long as an infection doesn't kick in, which is what the marigold is for," Berrypaw reasoned, flashing Crowglow an encouraging glance. "We just have to make sure he rests and doesn't reopen the wound. That could lead to more bleeding and... well, could make everything worse. So it's very important that he rests."
It was the best she could do, hoping her own anxiety wasn't showing too much in her face and body. She was more nervous of her own limited abilities, not Grimpaw's condition... she imagined he'd be alright — he was in good paws, right? Like Mistyshard said? She had to remind herself of that.
Mistyshard nodded as Crowglow mentioned not wanting to lose Grimpaw because he was like family. Of course she understood that - she'd dealt with enough loss herself. However, a panicking feline could make Grimpaw nervous as well, so she wanted to keep that out of her den as much as possible. Though if he needed some support once Grimpaw was fine, she was always open to speaking to cats due to emotional problems. "That's alright, I get that. Seeing a close friend in such a state isn't easy. How about once Grimpaw has been healed you go for a hunt, drink some water and eat something to calm yourself down? Then you can come back here and talk to me about everything if you wish. I know what it's like to be in such a situation and maybe I can help."
Amber hues focused on Berrypaw as she watched her apprentice work swiftly, chewing the marigold and applying the cobwebs. She nodded as Berrypaw applied the herbs and there was a small smile forming on her maw to tell the young molly that she was doing everything correctly. This showed her that the pick of Berrypaw for medicine cat apprentice had been correct. Of course she still needed experience and training, but they could do that. They were sort of in a learning curve together - it's not like Mistyshard had been in this position for many moons. The basics and some more advanced stuff were known to her but other than that, she still had a lot to learn.
Berrypaw's explanation about Grimpaw's state and what he needed to do now made perfect sense. She turned her attention to Crowglow once again, giving him a quick nod. "Since the healing is done, how about you do what I suggested, then come back in a bit to check on Grimpaw? Perhaps he will be awake by then, and if you're still feeling unsure or nervous, we can also talk about that." With a flick of her tail, she settled down, her one eye trained on Grimpaw. If Berrypaw wanted to join her to rest a little after this healing and watch Grimpaw until the apprentice woke up, she certainly could.
[ @/Forgetfulshape - not sure if grimpaw was awake or not? but if you want to make a post with him waking up now, go ahead ]
Quote:
Originally Posted by MockingRabbit
He watched her spin away and return a few heartbeats later, laying some leaves down before him. He wondered what made them so "blessed" whiled he chewed the bitter leaves. They certainly didn't taste like a blessing. But yeah, as Mistyshard said, he was a warrior, so no funny faces. He swallowed the chewed pulp and ran a tongue over his teeth before licking up the poppy seeds. He gave those a crunch too, before swallowing.
Then he waited for the herbs to work. "Thanks," he mewed, because the silence was awkward. Moments later his eyes began to droop, and he curled up in the nest, preparing to sleep. The last thought that he remembered crossing his mind before darkness engulfed him once again, was that he had to see Blackfrost again soon, to say thank you.
***
[Time jump to later?]
Roseshard blinked the sleepy crust from his eyes. He must have been sleeping for a while, because outside he could hear the dawn birds singing, and the light was poor. He shifted his head experimentally, pleased when he felt nothing. Maybe that meant the swelling had gone down, and he was better again. He didn't want to be in this den any longer than he had too. It wasn't the same den -after the flood- but it smelled the same and that was enough. It brought back memories. It brought back the guilt.
He traced his nose over the scars on his flank absently.
Besides, the Clan needed him for border patrols and hunting. His paws itched to go, but he knew he needed Mistyshard's permission before he could leave. The russet-and-black tabby had nothing to to but wait for her to wake up.
Mistyshard's attention shifted to Roseshard as she saw the warrior move a little. The sight of him moving his head without pain made her pretty sure he'd be able to slowly go back to warrior life. It didn't seem to be a major injury and since it had healed, she saw no problem. "If you can move painlessly you're free to go back to the warrior's den. However, if anything hurts I want you to come to be immediately. No buts, no pride, just pay me a little visit and we can sort it out." With a curt nod, she dismissed the warrior from the stay in the medicine cat's den.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luminous
Springkit
He let himself be led to a nest, not properly even registering it happening. Food? Water? "no... I don't really feel like eating right now... sorry." But how did he feel? Just sick. It was difficult to explain, but Misty couldn't exactly help if she didn't know what was wrong. "I, erm, well it's kinda hard to breathe... Not like- my nose isn't stuffy and breathing doesn't hurt, but the air.... isn't filled with enough... air..." He felt stupid. He was stupid, nothing he said made any sense, but he had to try. "And my stomach is turning really bad. It started very recently, like just a few moments ago outside... when they were talking about those rats and fighting them... "
He didn't know what more to explain. "Ehm, Misty, by the way, how bug are rats? like... are they able to hurt cats badly?"
So no food for Springkit. Mistyshard gazed at the young tom through thoughtful amber hues, tilting his head as he explained it was hard to breath. Not in a physical way, more in a mental way? Was that what the kit was trying to say? Unless it was something similar to Pebblesplash's problem, she was pretty sure this meant it would be something bothering Springkit's brain. His stomach was turning, and it had only started a few moments ago... hm. Ah, bingo! It started when they were talking about rats and battling them. That was probably the issue. She let out a comforting purr and attempted to nuzzle the tomcat in a gentle, comforting way.
"Rats are pretty small. They'd probably be able to hurt cats, but not too badly. And if some gets hurt, I'll be there for them to aid them. RiverClan's past medicine cat - Fawnlight - actually taught me how to treat rat bites a bit ago. So don't worry about your clanmates, they are in good paws and will all be fine." It's not like she believed everything she was saying, but she had to pretend to for Springkit. Mistyshard was.. not very confident in her own abilities, but she was pretty good at hiding that. "Do you.. feel better now, by any chance? Or do you have anymore questions? Ask away if you do." Her words were a gentle purr.
One of the important things that needed to be taken care of before this massive invasion happened was the training of field medics. It was something he'd been wanting done for a while now, and now seemed like the perfect time.
Poking his head into the medicine den, he called, "Mistyshard, Berrypaw? I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but I need to speak with both of you about preparations for this coming war."
The lanky silver molly's ears pricked as Fadingsun poked his head into the medicine cat's den. She gave the leader a quick nod, tail curling around her paws and curiosity shimmering in her one eye. "Don't worry, you're not interrupting anything. You are always welcome. So... what's up?" The upcoming war was quite daunting to think about. All three clans hated RiverClan right now, and she really didn't have the best feeling about this war. It weighed down her shoulders every night, horrible dreams spiraling through her mind about how they'd all die and there would be no saving.
Letting out a gentle sigh, she mentally prepared herself for anything unsettling that might be said now. Mistyshard knew she had to be strong - for Berrypaw, for her other fellow high ranks and lionhearts, and her clan. Showing weakness simply wasn't an option.
Mistyshard nodded as Crowglow mentioned not wanting to lose Grimpaw because he was like family. Of course she understood that - she'd dealt with enough loss herself. However, a panicking feline could make Grimpaw nervous as well, so she wanted to keep that out of her den as much as possible. Though if he needed some support once Grimpaw was fine, she was always open to speaking to cats due to emotional problems. "That's alright, I get that. Seeing a close friend in such a state isn't easy. How about once Grimpaw has been healed you go for a hunt, drink some water and eat something to calm yourself down? Then you can come back here and talk to me about everything if you wish. I know what it's like to be in such a situation and maybe I can help."
Amber hues focused on Berrypaw as she watched her apprentice work swiftly, chewing the marigold and applying the cobwebs. She nodded as Berrypaw applied the herbs and there was a small smile forming on her maw to tell the young molly that she was doing everything correctly. This showed her that the pick of Berrypaw for medicine cat apprentice had been correct. Of course she still needed experience and training, but they could do that. They were sort of in a learning curve together - it's not like Mistyshard had been in this position for many moons. The basics and some more advanced stuff were known to her but other than that, she still had a lot to learn.
Berrypaw's explanation about Grimpaw's state and what he needed to do now made perfect sense. She turned her attention to Crowglow once again, giving him a quick nod. "Since the healing is done, how about you do what I suggested, then come back in a bit to check on Grimpaw? Perhaps he will be awake by then, and if you're still feeling unsure or nervous, we can also talk about that." With a flick of her tail, she settled down, her one eye trained on Grimpaw. If Berrypaw wanted to join her to rest a little after this healing and watch Grimpaw until the apprentice woke up, she certainly could.
[ @/Forgetfulshape - not sure if grimpaw was awake or not? but if you want to make a post with him waking up now, go ahead ]
Mistyshard's attention shifted to Roseshard as she saw the warrior move a little. The sight of him moving his head without pain made her pretty sure he'd be able to slowly go back to warrior life. It didn't seem to be a major injury and since it had healed, she saw no problem. "If you can move painlessly you're free to go back to the warrior's den. However, if anything hurts I want you to come to be immediately. No buts, no pride, just pay me a little visit and we can sort it out." With a curt nod, she dismissed the warrior from the stay in the medicine cat's den.
So no food for Springkit. Mistyshard gazed at the young tom through thoughtful amber hues, tilting his head as he explained it was hard to breath. Not in a physical way, more in a mental way? Was that what the kit was trying to say? Unless it was something similar to Pebblesplash's problem, she was pretty sure this meant it would be something bothering Springkit's brain. His stomach was turning, and it had only started a few moments ago... hm. Ah, bingo! It started when they were talking about rats and battling them. That was probably the issue. She let out a comforting purr and attempted to nuzzle the tomcat in a gentle, comforting way.
"Rats are pretty small. They'd probably be able to hurt cats, but not too badly. And if some gets hurt, I'll be there for them to aid them. RiverClan's past medicine cat - Fawnlight - actually taught me how to treat rat bites a bit ago. So don't worry about your clanmates, they are in good paws and will all be fine." It's not like she believed everything she was saying, but she had to pretend to for Springkit. Mistyshard was.. not very confident in her own abilities, but she was pretty good at hiding that. "Do you.. feel better now, by any chance? Or do you have anymore questions? Ask away if you do." Her words were a gentle purr.
The lanky silver molly's ears pricked as Fadingsun poked his head into the medicine cat's den. She gave the leader a quick nod, tail curling around her paws and curiosity shimmering in her one eye. "Don't worry, you're not interrupting anything. You are always welcome. So... what's up?" The upcoming war was quite daunting to think about. All three clans hated RiverClan right now, and she really didn't have the best feeling about this war. It weighed down her shoulders every night, horrible dreams spiraling through her mind about how they'd all die and there would be no saving.
Letting out a gentle sigh, she mentally prepared herself for anything unsettling that might be said now. Mistyshard knew she had to be strong - for Berrypaw, for her other fellow high ranks and lionhearts, and her clan. Showing weakness simply wasn't an option.
[ This post is pretty messy, sorry, I had to speedrun it ]
( 2 more posts with Crowglow and maybe he can wake up.)
Crowglow gave a gentle nod and decided to leave."..thanks, Mistyshard. Youre a great cat." He meowed softly.q
Fortunately, neither of them were busy. Fadingsun wouldn't have blamed them at all if they were; there were certainly quite a few things to get done. "With the war coming on, I think it might be worth it to train some field medics. Not just for this conflict, but for whatever threats we might face out there. I'm not asking you to train extra medicine cats, just cats who can patch up minor wounds and help stabilize severely wounded cats until you or Berrypaw can tend to them."
He sat down, curling his tail around his paws. "I'm thinking we could use three or four of these field medics. What do you two think?"
__________________
Fadingstar is currently RiverClan's leader. He has an open den policy; his den can be found here. If you have any questions or concerns about RiverClan, or any plots to propose, feel free to leave me a VM or DM! Please do not take my characters' IC opinions as reflective of my own.
Re: RiverClan Medicine Cat's Den
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Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
